202 pages ; 21 cm

"The beguines began to form in various parts of Europe over eight hundred years ago. Beguines were laywomen, not nuns, and they did not live in monasteries. They practiced a remarkable way of living independently, and they were never a religious order or a formalized movement. But there were common elements that these medieval women shared across Europe, including their visionary spirituality, their unusual business acumen, and their courageous commitment to the poor and sick. Beguines were essentially self-defined, in opposition to the many attempts to control and define them. They lived by themselves or in communities called beguinages, which could be single homes for just a few women or, as in Brugge, Brussels, and Amsterdam, walled-in rows of houses where hundreds of beguines lived together--a village of women within a medieval town or city. Among the beguines were celebrated spiritual writers and mystics, including Mechthild of Magdeburg, Beatrijs of Nazareth, Hadewijch, and Marguerite Porete." --

"Originally published in hardcover in 2014"--Title page verso

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-199) and index

Introduction -- Who were the beguines? -- Beguines across Europe -- The Beguinage -- Beguine ministries -- Beguine spirituality -- Beguine compassion -- Beguines as preachers and performers -- Literary beguines -- Were beguines heretics? -- Conclusion

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews